One More Time
by Geeky.n.Weird
Summary: Jocelyn's dream of a memory before the fire... before the Uprising... before she had to start over...
WARNING: I HAVE ONLY READ THE FIRST BOOK! THIS IS A ONE-SHOT TYPE OF STORY! Thanks for the support! :D

* * *

"Jonathan! It's time to eat!" Jocelyn announced. She arranged the dinner table. She first set out the plates, then the silverware and last the wine glasses.

Jocelyn brought out what they were going to eat that night. It was a meal she had learned when she was at the Institute in New York. It was an Italian dish known as pesto cream penne. For the sides, she cooked some Italian peas and roasted garlic mashed potatoes. For dessert, she had made a white chocolate pistachio and cranberry cake.

"Jonathan!" she dictated, this time a little louder. "Mom! Dad! Dinner's ready!" Her voice echoed through the manor. She prepared everyone's plate. Her mother came down the stairs and grabbed a wine bottle.

"Hey, sweetie," her mother, Adele, said to her. The glasses filled up with burgundy-colored wine as she poured it. "Mm. A Douro Red."

"Mommy!" Jonathan whined as he ran across the hall. Jonathan hid behind Jocelyn to avoid getting tickled by his grandfather, Granville. Jocelyn's father came down the stairs, laughing. He seated himself at the head of the table.

"I heard dinner was ready," he chuckled mockingly. He finally got a chance to his breath from all the laughing he had done with Jonathan. Jocelyn started to serve him dinner. Jonathan still clung onto her.

"Where's Valentine, sweetie?" her mother asked.

"He told me this morning that he was assigned a simple mission and would most likely be home by dinnertime," Jocelyn answered.

Her father commented, "Well, honey, it looks like the mission was not that simple."

"Yeah, I realize that now." She paused for a minute. Jocelyn continued to serve her father dinner. _'I'll be home by dinnertime,' Valentine had told her. 'I promise.' He kissed her goodbye and the kissed their son on the head. He bent down and said, 'You gotta stay with Mommy, OK?' Jonathan nodded._

"Sweetie?" Her mother looked at her with concern. She tapped her arm lightly.

"Yeah? Sorry, Mom. I'll eat dinner when Valentine comes home. I have a feeling that he'll be home before midnight," Jocelyn responded.

"Are you sure, Jocie? He could end up coming home tomorrow morning," her father theorized.

"Your father's right, sweetie. Missions can be unpredictable." Her mother almost always sided with her father. Adele seated herself on the right side of Granville. Jocelyn went over to her mother's side and started to serve her.

"I'm going to get Jonathan and feed him," Jocelyn said. She walked away from the dinner table, a little upset that Valentine hadn't come home. _He's normally right about these things. And he's always punctual about them to. How was wrong about this? Maybe he got hurt. No, Jocelyn, be positive._

She found Jonathan in the playroom and picked him up. He was blond ball of happiness, looking a lot like his father. Jocelyn kissed him on the cheek and whispered, "I love you, baby. I love you so much. I'll never leave you alone. Never…" Her voice trailed off.

Jocelyn came back to the dinner table and placed Jonathan on the high chair. She went to the kitchen to get some unsalted Italian peas and lightly flavored mashed potatoes. When she returned, Jonathan was whining. He had gotten some of the sauce from the pasta on his hands.

Jocelyn let out a sigh and wiped the sauce off of Jonathan's hands with a handkerchief. She picked him up and held him in her arms until he stopped whining. After putting him back in the high chair, she started to feed him.

"Jocie," her father called out, "he may not be home for some time. You ought to eat something, sweetie."

"I know, Dad. I know, but I still have to finish feeding Jonathan and then put him to sleep," she replied.

Adele mentioned, "We can do that while you eat." She walked over to take the bowl half full of mashed potatoes out of Jocelyn's hands.

"Mom, he won't eat. You, of all people, know that," Jocelyn added. Jonathan had started to move around and fidget in his stair. "Jonathan, sit still."

He slowly stopped fidgeting. "Mommy," he muttered, with a mouthful of food. Jocelyn cleaned up the mashed potatoes around his mouth. "Mm."

Jocelyn finished up feeding Jonathan and then went to help her mother clean up the dining area and kitchen. While they did that, Granville entertained one-year-old Jonathan. Later than evening, after Granville and Adele went to bed, Jocelyn read a book to Jonathan. Books tended to lull the one-year-old to sleep.

As he lay asleep across Jocelyn's chest, she slowly dozed off. As they both lay curled up on the recliner. Jocelyn felt a slight chill come from the front door. She opened her eyes to find Valentine holding Jonathan in his arms.

"Valentine? You're home?" Jocelyn asked sleepily. "Let me go get dinner ready for you." She went to get but Valentine stopped her.

"I can get it myself, hon," he whispered. "You get some rest." He took Jonathan to their bedroom and put him in his bed. He freshened himself up a bit before going to the dinner table. When he got to the dinner table, it was already set for two people.

"You didn't give me enough time to tell you that I didn't eat dinner," Jocelyn said. She had seated herself on the left side of the where the head of the table sits.

"Hm, Italian," Valentine remarked. He sat at the head of the table. They both ate in silence for a couple of minutes.

"Are you okay?" Jocelyn asked. "You got home late. You're not hurt or anything, are you?" She prayed that it was nothing like that. She hoped that they only had a delay in starting the mission.

"Yeah, I'm okay?" Valentine answered. "We got a little lost because our navigator's map burned up while we fought the Downworlders."

"Okay…"

"I do apologize for being late. My intentions were to be here by dinner, but –"

Jocelyn cut him off by saying, "It's okay. As long as you are safe, it's okay." They finished their dinner. Jocelyn cleaned up the dining area and the kitchen. She brought out dessert for Valentine.

"This is new," he said. "What is it? I can smell the cranberries."

"It's a white chocolate pistachio and cranberry cake," Jocelyn explained. "I learned how to make this while I was at the Institute. I burned it the first time." Valentine let out a little laugh. Seeing him laugh made Jocelyn smile. It's been so long since he's laughed like that. I'm so happy.

"Don't you want some?" he asked gingerly. "I'm pretty sure you're a sweet tooth."

"No. I trying to refrain from eating too many sweets," Jocelyn replied. "I've had a little too much lately."

"One bite won't hurt," Valentine encouraged. He held out a spoonful of cake as Jocelyn pondered whether to accept or deny the bite.

She took a small bite of the spoonful and wiped away the crumbs from around her mouth. He smiled softly at Jocelyn. She returned the smile with a kiss.

After they finished eating dessert, they went to bed. They curled up together and whispered, 'I love you. Goodnight.' to each other. Jocelyn fell asleep listening to Valentine's steady heartbeat as her head lay across her chest.

 _I hope we stay like this forever…  
_

* * *

Jocelyn jolted awake with tears streaming across her as she recalled this treasured memory of her family. She hugged the pillow to her face, wanting nothing more than to experience that memory one more time.

She missed her mother. She missed her father. She missed the Valentine before the Uprising. Most of all, she missed her baby boy, Jonathan Christopher.

She heard the bedroom door open and a small voice call out, "Mommy." She got up, out of bed, and picked up her 18-month-old baby girl, Clarissa Fray. A beautiful, freckled little redhead. They both curled up in bed, and went back to sleep.

Just before falling asleep, she whispered, "I love you, baby. I love you so much. I'll never leave you alone. Never…"


End file.
